More people will be entitled to personal assistance

Malmberg has carried out his investigation on behalf of the government and the coalition parties Centerpartiet and Liberalerna.

It is now handed over to Minister of Social Affairs Lena Hallengren (S), after just over a year of work.

The inquiry proposes reforms for children and adults with large and permanent disabilities for a total of SEK 2.7 billion, of which improvements for children account for SEK 1.3 billion, according to Malmberg.

The inquiry estimates that around 2,000 more people may be entitled to personal assistance, 800 of them children, if the proposals are implemented.

Three deficient areas

In particular, there are three areas where the inquiry has found shortcomings in the current system.

Partly what is called self-care, ie the care that is not medical care.

Secondly, what is granted in the form of supervisory measures.

Partly also what is actually included in parental responsibility.

Investigator Fredrik Malmberg sees a need for real changes.

- There is a need for strengthened support for self-care, and a regulation of healthcare responsibility, he says at the press conference when the investigation is handed over to Lena Hallengren.

He points out that more people need the right to interventions that involve supervision, for example to prevent outspoken behavior or for support and motivation to be able to get started doing things.

The supervision granted is insufficient.

We start again, with a blank sheet.

We now propose that support should be given for motivation and guidance, to prevent certain situations and in situations where there is a medical problem.

With regard to the scope of parental responsibility, the inquiry also wants to make it clearer, and also reduce the deductions in support that the current rules and application entail.

Welcome by RBU

The proposals are welcomed by the organization Disabled children and young people, RBU.

They will strengthen the right to personal assistance, the RBU believes.

- I would have liked to have gone a little further when it comes to the proposals on how far parental responsibility should extend, but it is a step in the right direction, says RBU's chairman Maria Persdotter to TT.